digging a ditch with a rear scoop

   / digging a ditch with a rear scoop #1  

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I have a rear scoop (slip scoop) for my New Holland TC29D. I've used it to move dirt around and it works great. I've been told that they are good for digging ditches (which is one of the reasons I bought it). What kind of techniques do some of you use when digging a ditch with a rear scoop? Mine is reversable. Does it work better going forward or backward? How deep of a ditch can I dig? Can I dig in sod or do I need to break up the ground first? I bought it new from Quality, but it didn't come with any instructions (just like my kids!).
 
   / digging a ditch with a rear scoop #2  
Danny,

I will watch this with interest, as I am hoping to use a scoop to dig the necessary ditches to lay in drainage pipe. Good question!!!

Kevin
 
   / digging a ditch with a rear scoop #3  
I have used my scoop to scrape dirt off my field and fill in low spots around the house - just the opposite of what you're trying to do /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.
Bear in mind that the scoop isn't going to go much lower than the tractor, unlike an FEL or better yet, a backhoe, so "ditch" is ok, but "trench" is probably out.

Because I take the dirt to fill in a hole, I've found it easier to back up to the hole's edge and dump the dirt out the back of the scoop. If I were intentionally digging a hole and couldn't care less what the dirt pile became, I would definately use forward.

All in all, it's a heck of a lot better than a shovel, but it will take a long time... just look at the capacity of the scoop. One thing to remember: if the scoop gets hooked on a root or boulder, don't try really hard to lift the scoop. I did that once and bent the frame where the trip handle is /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif. These things are really intended to scoop up easy-to-move stuff, even though I use it to dig in my dirt.

This is a place where hydrauilic Top link wouldd be perfect, and is the reason I want that/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. I tilt the scoop down to get the dirt, up to transport it, then back down to dump it. That makes for a whole lot of cranking on the threaded top link!

<font color=green>mark</font color=green>
markcg_sig.gif
 
   / digging a ditch with a rear scoop #4  
Danny, I did several projects around my place with my <font color=red> Farmal 340</font color=red>. Using a scoop to dig a ditch is similar to using a box blade. When digging a ditch controlling depth with the three pt. requires keeping a close watch on height of the three pt. Don't go fast until you get the hang of controlling depth of the cut. Make a shallow cut to remove sod first.
Mark is right about having a <font color=blue> Hydraulic Top Link </font color=blue>. I had one on the <font color=red> Farmal </font color=red>. It is very useful to control angle of the cutting edge. When the scoop is full it will allow it to tip scoop back to keep dirt in. When emptying, scoop can be tilted forward. Which will allow the scoop to tilt back past center and completely empty.
If you are only digging the width of the scoop, the brackets that hold the scoop to your three pt will limit the depth. If ditch will be wider than your scoop, then depth would be limited by how far ditch is angled out from the center. If you want to dig a straight-sided ditch, making it wider than the scoop may be a problem because the tire on the side of the first cut will fall into the ditch. Then your tractor will be tilted. When the first cut is complete this may be the time to put a back blade or box blade on.
When digging a ditch I would mount the scoop toward the front of tractor. When I was moving dirt I mounted it toward the rear. That way you don't have to drive over the dirt you are moving.
Did I mention that a scoop does not hold very much dirt or sod./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif I'm spoiled since I got a FEL./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I back filled all around my pole barn with dirt. Also used it to haul all the sand into the barn before I poured the concrete. I dug several ditches for drainage around barn. They were only about 10" deep.
Hope these suggestions help you.
A little off subject. I still have a drag scoop that I used to dig dirt out of my basement 20 years ago /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif. I don't use it any more. I can't find anybody to hold the handles while I run the tractor./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif


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   / digging a ditch with a rear scoop #5  
Danny Y,

I use a rear scoop on my TC18 and it works great. Mainly I've used it to move around fill sand and scrape off topsoil before/during/after having my pole barn built. I cleared the topsoil off of an area about 30 x 40 on the south end of my barn so that I can add fill sand and then put the top soil back on to create a gradual tapper from the south end door of the barn. It takes awhile but it will get the job done. Just extend the toplink to angle the scoop downward and its cutting edge will cut into the sod. I have not used my scoop with the cutting edge facing the tractor.

Someone told me that the old Ford "N" tractors used to use scoops to dig out basements!

Good Luck, JimBinMI

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